Weight management: Preliminary research suggests increasing intake of low-energy density-foods (meaning few calories given the volume of food), specifically mushrooms, in place of high-energy-density foods, like lean ground beef, can be an effective method for reducing daily energy and fat intake while still feeling full and satiated after the meal.(1) Mushrooms are low in calories, fat-free, cholesterol-free and very low in sodium.Vitamin D: Mushrooms are the only fruit or vegetable with vitamin D. The top three selling mushroom varieties (button, crimini and portabella) have vitamin D ranging from 1 to 97 percent of the Daily Value (400 IU) per raw 84 gram serving. Scientists are currently exploring links between low vitamin D status and increased risk for a number of chronic diseases, including heart disease, type 1 diabetes, and multiple sclerosis.Antioxidants: Within the produce aisle, mushrooms are the leading source of the antioxidant selenium. Antioxidants, like selenium, protect body cells from damage that might lead to chronic diseases. They help to strengthen the immune system as well.Essential nutrients: Mushrooms provide B vitamins, including riboflavin, niacin, and pantothenic acid, which help to provide energy by breaking down proteins, fats and carbohydrates. B vitamins also play an important role in the nervous system.

To learn more about the health benefits of mushrooms visit www.MushroomInfo or schedule an interview with Keri Glassman.

The Mushroom Council is composed of fresh market producers or importers who average more than 500,000 pounds of mushrooms produced or imported annually. The mushroom program is authorized by the Mushroom Promotion, Research and Consumer Information Act of 1990 and is administered by the Mushroom Council under the supervision of the Agricultural Marketing Service. Research and promotion programs help to expand, maintain and develop markets for individual agricultural commodities in the United States and abroad. These industry self-help programs are requested and funded by the industry groups that they serve. For more information on the Mushroom Council, visit mushroomcouncil.

Keri Glassman's new book, The O2 Diet, empowers people to live a more nutritious life by translating complex scientific research on antioxidants and free radicals into useful and useable tools that everyday people can benefit from. The book promotes a nutrient-dense, high-antioxidant diet based on scientific research on antioxidants and the ORAC scale (ORAC stands for oxygen radical absorbance capacity, and the scale measures how well the components of a food "mop up" the free radicals in the bloodstream).

SOURCE The Mushroom Council